The Russians had hoped Switzerland would remain a “haven for Russian business – legal or not”, Boris Bondarev said in an interviewExternal link with Le Temps newspaper on Wednesday. “It was very naive, but that’s really how it happened.”
Bondarev resigned in May in protest at Russia’s war in Ukraine. He is currently in Switzerland.
He also said Russia’s strategy in the war was to wait for the West to get tired. “Moscow will ensure that Europe freezes this winter. To the point where public opinion puts pressure on politicians to demand that Ukraine negotiate with Russia,” he said.
Last week Russia rejected a protecting power mandate agreed by Switzerland and Ukraine, saying Switzerland was no longer neutral.
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Russia rejects protecting power mandate agreed by Switzerland and Ukraine
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Russia has said Switzerland is no longer neutral and cannot represent Ukrainian interests in Russia and Moscow’s interests in Ukraine.
Swiss money laundering office registers record number of reports
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The Money Laundering Reporting Office Switzerland (MROS) registered a record number of reports of suspicious activity last year.
Two teens accused of planning terror attack released from custody
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The Schaffhausen judiciary has released the two teenagers from custody who allegedly planned bomb attacks in Switzerland.
OECD: Sluggish economic activity slowing growth in Switzerland
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Sluggish economic activity at the start of the year is weighing on growth in Switzerland, with GDP expected to fall to 1.1% in 2024.
Report finds mistakes which led to Swiss government data breach
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Mistakes were made by both the government and internet company Xplain in the case of a criminal cyber-attack on the Bern-based IT business.
Swiss government wants better gender balance in federal administration
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New Swiss government personnel management targets say there must be even more female managers in the federal administration.
Swiss national science foundation funded over 5,000 projects in 2023
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In 2023, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) provided a total of CHF961 million worth of funding towards research projects.
Switzerland invites 160 delegations to June Ukraine peace talks
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Russia is currently not among the delegations invited to talks aimed at helping bring about peace in the conflict between Moscow and Ukraine.
Survey: air travel most popular way to go on holidays for Swiss
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Despite the climate crisis, flying is the most popular mode of transport for private travel – particularly among young, urban and high-income travellers.
Swiss government to use phone data to identify asylum seekers
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From April 2025, authorities plan to be able to analyse data from mobile phones, computers and other data carriers to identify asylum seekers.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
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Russian diplomat in Switzerland resigns over invasion of Ukraine
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A Russian diplomat in Geneva has said he is leaving his post because of his disagreement with Moscow. He hopes the Swiss government will help him.
Switzerland takes over EU sanctions on Russian gold
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Switzerland, a major gold-refining hub, has followed the EU in banning Russian gold as part of new sanctions due to the war in Ukraine.
Swiss adopt Russian oil ban and other sanctions over Ukraine war
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The Swiss government has adopted the latest set of European Union sanctions against Russia and Belarus over the war in Ukraine.
Stay or go? The dilemma of Swiss companies in Russia
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Caught between potential damage to their image and having their businesses confiscated, Swiss firms active in Russia have a tough choice.
Russia rejects protecting power mandate agreed by Switzerland and Ukraine
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Russia has said Switzerland is no longer neutral and cannot represent Ukrainian interests in Russia and Moscow’s interests in Ukraine.
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.